This invention relates to an electronic musical instrument, in which a predetermined automatic accompaniment pattern is selected for playing accompaniment according to the state of operation of a performance key on a keyboard.
In a prior art electronic musical instrument with an automatic accompaniment unit, a single rhythm pattern is produced automatically and repeatedly for every two measures or bars as unit period when a predetermined rhythm pattern selection switch is operated.
When a single rhythm pattern is repeatedly produced, however, the performance is rather monotonous and is liable to be soon worn out. Accordingly, it is thought to permit free selection of two variations of rock, for instance of 8-beat and 16-beat, by operating a variation switch.
This concept, however, will increase switches and complicates the circuit construction as well as making the performance operation more difficult.
Further, since a rhythm is automatically produced irrespective of the content of music, the automatic accompaniment will sometimes fail to match the image of the music.